More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
Around 85% of Filipino workers shared a positive or neutral answer when asked about their job satisfaction, according to a survey conducted by online job portal Jobstreet by SEEK.
The percentage is equivalent to an overall happiness index score of 4.52 out of seven points, with seven being the most positive.
Compared to the responses collected during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic in 2017, the satisfaction of working Filipinos with their current job rose by 17% in the poll’s latest edition.
The respondents attributed their job satisfaction to having work mobility, work-life balance and an inclusive work setup.
According to Jobstreet, Filipinos working remotely or are under the work-from-home setup had better job satisfaction scores with a score of 4.82 over seven. The same employees underscored their work-life balance as the main reason for their satisfaction.
Out of various areas in the country, workers from Metro Manila were deemed least satisfied with their work at 4.46, which can be attributed to the region’s high traffic congestion and difficult mobility that supposedly cause a stressful commute for them.
In terms of age, Gen Z was the least likely to be satisfied with their current jobs with a score of 4.28 for those between the ages of 23 and 27, which may be stemmed from contrasting work conditions among younger and older generations.
Married or partnered employees recorded higher levels of job satisfaction at 4.60 compared to single workers who scored 4.46, citing their ability to balance career and personal relationships.
Overall, the poll found that Filipino workers are happier in their occupations when they are provided the right work arrangement and opportunity to develop and be promoted by their employers.
It also identified career advancement and verticality as the primary contributors to satisfaction at work among the respondents, followed by training opportunities and adequate salary.
This is a higher satisfaction rate than pre-pandemic surveys. The number can be attributed to better work arrangements, i.e. working mobility or working from home.
Italian tourist arrivals are set to exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.
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| https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/10/09/tourist-arrivals-from-italy-at-record-high-expected-to-surpass-pre-pandemic-levels/ |
Tourist arrivals from Italy have reached a record high and are expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.
This was disclosed by Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial during the launching in Milan on Sunday of the Bisita, Be My Guest (BBMG) program of the Department of Tourism.
In his remarks before the more than 200 guests who attended the launching at the Palazzo Parigi, Ambassador Imperial said he expects the BBMG program to boost the number of Italians visiting the Philippines.
“I am pleased to note that more and more Italians are traveling to the Philippines for beach, holiday, adventure and eco-tourism, diving, cultural immersion, and Filipino gastronomy,” Ambassador Imperial said, noting that Italy is the fastest-recovering European tourism market for the Philippines since the pandemic.
Ambassador Imperial said that as of the third quarter of 2024, the Philippines has already received over 35,000 tourists from Italy—a 74 percent growth rate compared to the same period last year.
He assured the DOT, represented at the launching by Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderosa-Abubakar, of the full support of the Philippine country team in Italy in promoting Filipino tourism and fostering strong cultural ties between the two nations.
The BBMG program aims to encourage overseas Filipinos to promote the Philippines as a top travel destination. It taps into the Filipino diaspora’s global reach by incentivizing them to invite foreign guests to visit the country. Sponsors are eligible for rewards, including travel packages and raffle prizes.
In his remarks, Consul General Elmer Cato underscored the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Rome and the Consulate General in Milan to promote the Philippines as a prime tourism destination in Italy.
He also highlighted the Amare Le Filippine (Love the Philippines) tourism campaign launched by the Consulate in June, as an important step in attracting Italian tourists to the archipelago.
Undersecretary Valderosa-Abubakar expressed optimism that the BBGM program would significantly boost the number of foreign visitors to the Philippines.
She conveyed her hope that the program would inspire the Filipino Community in Italy to take part in showcasing the best of what the Philippines has to offer.
The event featured lively cultural performances, highlighting the Philippines’ rich heritage and traditions. Guests were also treated to a sumptuous buffet of traditional Filipino dishes.
"Italy is the fastest-recovering European tourism market for the Philippines since the pandemic."
We have heard so much about the health emergency allowances owed to frontlines. The money has been released to LGUs but not all of it has been distributed. In Sagay City, Negros Occidental, part of the money was stolen from a safe.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1991257/probe-sought-on-missing-p7-3-m-covid-benefits-for-front-liners |
A health workers’ union has demanded an investigation into the reported disappearance of P7.3 million in health emergency allowances (HEA) meant for medical front-liners in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are calling [on] the local government unit of Sagay to immediately look for funding and urgently provide the [HEA] for [the city’s] health workers,” Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) secretary general Cristy Donguines said in a statement on Tuesday.
The AHW also called for a “thorough and immediate” investigation, not only in Sagay City, but in all private and local government hospitals as well, saying the incident could also be happening elsewhere.
According to the group, this may be one of the reasons why many of their colleagues have complained about not receiving their COVID-19 benefits despite the claim of the Department of Health (DOH) that 90 percent of HEAs have already been paid out.
The Commission on Audit (COA) on Tuesday ordered Sagay City treasurer Juvy Pinongan to liquidate the P22 million in HEAs for the city’s 276 eligible health-care workers within 30 days or face criminal charges, according to city administrator Ryan Bonghanoy.
Pinongan initially distributed P22 million from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22 but failed to release the remaining P7.3 million.
When she was confronted by Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. in September, Pinongan said she forgot the combination of the vault where the money was being kept.
But COA representatives who opened the vault on Oct. 4 found it empty.Javelosa said the Sagay City Legal Office was preparing an affidavit complaint against Pinongan with the Bureau of Local Government Finance in connection with the missing P7.3 million.
In September, the DOH said that out of a total P103.5 billion in emergency allowances for health workers who served during the pandemic from 2021 to 2023, P92.6 billion or almost 90 percent, have been paid out.
It explained that the delays were due to the failure of some health facilities to comply with documentary requirements before the allowances could be disbursed.
According to the DOH, it has issued checks to 2,070 health facilities or 73 percent of the total 2,853 facilities still awaiting payment.
The remaining 27 percent was supposedly delayed because of incomplete documentary requirements.
Why was the money being kept in a vault and not in a bank?
Filipino nurses in America were very essential during the pandemic. Now a documentary is telling their story.
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| https://www.wbez.org/reset-with-sasha-ann-simons/2024/10/09/nurse-unseen-highlights-filipino-nurses |
In the 1980s HIV/AIDs epidemic, many American physicians and nurses refused to treat patients. Filipino and Filipino American nurses filled the gaps.
They’ve stepped up since then, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Filipinos only made up 4% of all registered nurses in the U.S. in 2020, they made up more than 30% of all nurse deaths from COVID.
A new documentary called Nurse Unseen shines a light on their contributions and sacrifices during a time of uncertainty, isolation and rising anti-Asian racism and violence.
For the moment this documentary is only available in theaters.
Former DOH Secretary Duque was convicted of grave misconduct over the alleged anomalous purchases of Covid-19 supplies worth P41.4 billion in 2020. Now his conviction has been reversed by the Ombudsman.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/13/ombudsman-junks-admin-charges-vs-ex-doh-sec-duque-on-purchases-of-p41-b-covid-19-supplies |
The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has dismissed the administrative charges against former Department of Health (DOH) secretary Francisco T. Duque III over the alleged anomalous purchases of Covid-19 supplies worth P41.4 billion in 2020.
“The administrative charges for Grave Misconduct, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and Gross Neglect of Duty docketed against respondent Francisco T. Duque III are hereby dismissed,” stated the OMB's 10-page order dated Aug. 5 but released recently.
The OMB granted Duque’s consolidated motion for reconsideration and its supplement which appealed the OMB’s May 6 decision that found him and his co-respondents in the administrative case guilty of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and gross neglect of duty.
The May 6 decision ordered Duque and his co-respondents dismissed from public service, have their retirement benefits forfeited, and perpetually disqualified from government employment.
The OMB noted that the case concerns “the series of fund transfers by the Department of Health (DOH) during the period of March to December 2020 to PS-DBM (Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management) totaling P41,463,867,117.52.”
In its Aug. 5 order, the OMB agreed with Duque that he can no longer be the subject of an administrative complaint since his term of office ended along with the end of the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte on June 30, 2020.
Citing past Supreme Court (SC) rulings, the OMB ruled that “this Office is constrained to hold Duque ‘is no longer the proper subject of an administrative complaint’ in connection with the irregular fund transfers to PS-DBM during his stint as DOH Secretary.”
“Considering that the issues on the administrative charges have been rendered moot, this Office sees no point in belaboring the other arguments relating thereto,” it also said.
Despite the dismissal of the administrative case, the OMB has already filed graft charges before the Sandiganbayan against Duque and his-accused concerning the anomalous purchase of P41.463 billion of Covid-19 supplies.
The Ombudsman says since Duque's term as DOH Secretary is over he can no longer be held liable for administrative charges. Looks like he will never face the music for his role in those anomalous purchases.
Condo rent rates in BGC and other central business districts are back to pre-pandemic levels.
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| https://business.inquirer.net/484773/biz-buzz-cherry-on-top-bgc-back-to-pre-covid-condo-rentbiz-buzz-cherry-on-top-bgc-back-to-pre-covid-condo-rent |
Landlords took a heavy beating during the pandemic lockdowns. But now, home rental rates are on the road to recovery. Among the central business districts (CBDs) in the metropolis, Taguig, especially BGC, is the first to regain prepandemic vibrancy.
According to the latest monitoring by Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), average residential rent in Taguig now costs P843 per square meter (sq m), which is 36 percent more than P620 prior to the pandemic. In BGC, rates average at P1,191 or 8 percent more than P1,104 per sqm in early 2020.
Next to BGC, Makati commands the highest residential rental rate averaging P1,001 per sq m. However, this is still 8 percent below the levels back in first quarter of 2020.
Rental rates in Makati, Bay Area and Alabang have yet to recover due to the void left by Philippine offshore gaming operators or Pogo workers.
Within Metro Manila, it is cheapest to rent in Ortigas and Mandaluyong, with rates estimated at P765 per sq m, or 21-percent below pre-COVID level.
The prices heating up only proves that the residential market is on the mend, although the current inventory is at the highest in 29 months.
This is good for landlords but bad for renters. Sounds more like inflation than economic recovery.
